Monday, October 21, 2013

21 on 21! (Bayley)

So I'll be honest with you - I don't know how I feel about
being 21. I guess it actually won't really change anything, since
everybody already thinks I'm old. For instance, our first district
meeting this transfer, our new District Leader, Elder Kleinman, is talking to
me and asks "so does it bother you when everyone asks if the age change
affected you?" and I kind of looked at him confused and he goes "you
know, like you're out here because of the age change?" and I was like
"um, the age change did affect me" and he just sort of sits there for
a minute and then was like "wait, how old are you?" So yeah.
Pretty much everybody here thinks I'm like 42, so I guess being 21 really
is no big deal.

But anyways. On to more important matters.

I have four stories for you all today.

Story #1: Rhoda

So last Hour of Power (so not this past Thursday, but the
Thursday before that) we knocked on this lady's door and were all like
"Hi. Missionaries. Book of Mormon. Please?" (that's not verbatim, but
you get the idea) and she told us to come back, so Monday night we go over
there, Book of Mormon in hand, armed and ready to teach her all about the
Restoration. At the conclusion of our appointment, we asked her if she'd
pray to know if it was true. She looks at us and goes "well I
already know it's true. It just makes sense." And we just sort
of sat there for a minute and stared at her, wondering if this was real life,
and then I asked her to be baptized and she agreed. It was truly
incredible. Probably the most powerful first lesson I've ever been at,
hands down. She then asked us to come back on Wednesday, and after our second
lesson all about the Plan of Salvation, she told us that she's really seen God
working in her life since she met us. We asked her what she meant by
that, and she told us that she has been wanting and trying to stop smoking for
a long time, but just hasn't been able to do it. But then the
Monday after she met with us, she was out shopping and got to talking to this
man who's had all these horrible health complications due to smoking and that
listening to him just really made her want to re-commit to stop smoking.
So she decides "okay, I'll buy just one last pack and this is
IT." So pack in hand, she goes home, only to realize that she really
has no urge to smoke anymore. None. Even with her brother smoking
next to her, she just doesn't want a cigarette. But, she reasons, she
just bought one last pack so might as well have this one last pack and then she
is DONE. So she goes to get this pack only to find that it has completely
vanished - gone. But she's told herself that she's just going to have one
last pack, so she goes to the store again and buys a second last pack, gets
home, goes to get a cigarette, only to find that this pack too has completely
vanished. Gone. At this point, she told us, she realized that God
must just really not want her to smoke, and she doesn't even want to even more,
so she is done. Yup. She pretty much taught herself the Word of
Wisdom lesson. That, my friends, was a miracle. She came to church
on Sunday as well, and if all goes according to plan will be baptized in just a
few weeks. MIRACLES, people. They're everywhere.

Story #2: The Power Outage

So earlier this week, we were at the home of our
investigator, Barbara, this old lady who lives by herself, reading out of the
Book of Mormon together when all of the sudden the power goes out. So we
get up to try and find some light, but despite the approximate four million
candles in the house, Barbara doesn't appear to own any matches. So after
like 30 minutes of looking around for matches, I remember that we have a member
who lives just down the street, and we tell Barbara to wait and we'll go run
and get a flashlight or matches from him or something. So we grab our
Books of Mormon and out we go, and we get to where our car is parked (in the
parking lot of the apartment place where Duncan lives) and see two people with
flashlights walking around our car and looking into it and being generally
sketchy. "What are y'all doing?" Sister Johnson yells, and we
walk over to our car where the man proceeds to tell us that we are parked on
private property and the police have been called and they're going to tow our
car. At this point I saw the rest of my mission flash before my eyes, and
also I may have suddenly developed an ulcer. I do that to myself a lot.
So the guy said we better get our keys and get our car out of here, and
he and his buddy go back into the apartment place. And at this point
Sister Johnson tells me that she left the keys back at Barbara's house.
And that was when fainted. Not really. But if this had been a
movie and I the fainting type, this would've been where I fainted.
Instead I just sort of had a mini panic attack and we sprinted back to
Barbara's and grabbed the keys. Note: sprinting in flats is HARD.
But we did it. And we got the keys, and we moved the car, and
Sister Johnson turns to me and goes "they were totally going to break into
our car." And I was like *unintelligent mumble* and we get back to
Barbara's, where we park the car, and ta-da! The power comes back on.
And I stand 100% convinced that that power outage was a blessing from
God, a way of sending us back to our car so it wouldn't get broken into or
stolen. I had Nutella in the car, after all. That just couldn't
happen.

Story #3: Preston's blessing

So Preston is this guy we've been teaching who is pretty
much my favorite. This week we taught him the Word of Wisdom, and in
reading through the pamphlet we came across the suggestion for "get a
priesthood blessing" for help and he asked what that was and so we
explained it to him and he asked if he could get one - he's been going through
a lot of hard things, and just wants to be baptized but can't get Sundays off
work, and you can't be baptized if you're not coming to church. So we
arrange with some of our elders for them to come with us to his appointment the
next day and to give him a priesthood blessing, and let me tell you, that
blessing was like the most incredible thing ever. It was so powerful, and
at the end of it Preston was tearing up and thanked the elders so much and told
us afterwards that he had never felt that way before, and that he knew that
blessing had come from God, and that it was all true. It was one of the
most incredible spiritual experiences I've ever witnessed - hands down.
Priesthood blessings are real, guys. Preston told us he "felt it
in his heart."

Story #4: the Primary Program.

Yesterday was the Lake Charles primary program. Always
my favorite sacrament meeting. This particular primary program should've
counted as a member present lesson if you ask me - they pretty much taught the
whole first lesson out of Preach My Gospel except much cuter and with more
songs. Fact: primary is magical. True story. But anyways, the
highlights from this particular primary program were the little boy in the
front row who waved literally NONSTOP the entire meeting (seriously) and also
the little boy who ended his brief little blurb on the creation with "my
favorite thing that Jesus created...is dinosaurs." Yup. Best
sacrament meeting ever.

And now, without any attempt at a graceful transition, since
it *is* my 21st birthday, and since I'm obsessed with lists, I wanted to share
21 things I've shared on my mission so far. So here goes.

1. Miracles are real. Obviously.

2. Mission calls are inspired.

3. It's entirely possible to live off peanut butter and
tortillas. Not ideal, perhaps. But possible.

4. We can't really do for others as Christ would do, until
we love others as Christ does.

5. Listening and following the Spirit doesn't always mean
pausing your life to listen and follow, but to live you life in such a way that
he is guiding your every step.

6. Any awkward situation can be de-awkwardized by bringing
brownies.

7. The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and the truest
most correct and perfect book on earth.

8. Gym shorts are a tender mercy of the Lord.

9. Everything tastes better either on rice or deep fried.
Or both.

10. Having faith to move mountains isn't so much about
believing that we can move mountains as it is about trusting God, with whom all
things are possible, and who could easily move a mountain through you.

11. Yogurt lids make great plates.

12. If you live in the south but have no interest whatsoever
in football...don't tell anyone that. Keep it secret. Keep it safe.

13. You can't look classy riding a cruiser bike in a skirt
and helmet. You just can't.

14. People are amazing.

15. Crunch berries work as a fruit serving.

16. Priesthood power is real. Obviously.

17. Primary songs are the best.

18. God ALWAYS answers prayers. ALWAYS.

19. Everybody everywhere should read "Our Search for
Happiness."

20. Sticky notes are among man's greatest inventions, next
to the postal service and deodorant.

21. The greatest work we can do here on earth is help others
find that path that will take them home to their Heavenly Father. Whether
in full time missionary work, member missionary work, temple work, parenthood,
whatever work we may be involved in - the work of the kingdom of God on earth
is the most important, the most difficult, and the most rewarding.

I love you all. Thank you for your birthday wishes,
for your prayers, and most especially for your work and help in aiding the
Lord's work.

1 comment:

I've been composing a letter to you tonight ... a REAL letter that will go in an envelope and all. Have been thinking of you all day, and sending you love. Happy Birthday dear Bayley. You are so special!! Grandma and Grandpa Enright love you soooo much!